Functional medicine is a foundational approach to patient care. It aims to determine why the patient is suffering from a sickness, disease, or condition and develops treatment to target the root cause. At times, this will include certain types of medication, but functional medicine aims to use natural solutions as much as possible.
How It Works
A functional medicine Denver provider spends a great deal of time with the patient. They talk with you to get a comprehensive understanding of what you are dealing with.
From there, they gather information about your family history, personal medical history, and your lifestyle, including what you eat, your habits, any stress you deal with, and more. Through this information, the provider can help determine root causes and triggers and develop a treatment plan according to those.
One of the top areas a functional medicine provider targets is nutrition. The foods that people eat every day can impact them, either positively or negatively. Some people are intolerant of certain foods. Others might lack the vitamins and nutrients that specific foods involve.
By determining what a patient eats, how it impacts them, and other nutrients they need, a nutrition plan can be developed. Depending on the patient’s medical issues, this nutrition plan can help reduce, eliminate, or potentially reverse them.
Nutrition is not the only area that functional medicine addresses, however. It is intended to be a comprehensive treatment that targets everything from stress, allergens, genetics, bacteria, and any other factor that might be associated with the patient’s condition.
The plan can include several steps, including improving diet and exercise, behavioral changes, chiropractic care, and even medication when needed. The goal is to treat the whole patient, providing greater and longer-lasting results.
Conditions It Can Treat
Functional medicine can be used to treat a variety of issues. Some common ones include the following:
- Fibromyalgia
- Digestive issues
- Cancer prevention or management
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Thyroid conditions
- Menopause and PMS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
When to See a Functional Medicine Provider
Functional medicine is available to anyone that wants to seek it. It might be the best choice for you if you are open to alternative methods of treatment and are willing to commit time and energy to it.
Functional medicine is not an approach where you simply go to the doctor and get a prescription. It is meant to heal your whole being. This requires time, patience, and care outside of medication. If you are comfortable with this idea, a functional medicine provider is a good choice.